Download Hour1Download Hour2This week's show features Jackson Katz' exploration of how Western culture legitimates male violence and domination in institutional power structures. It concludes with an interview with Robert Fuller, who coined the word rankism to talk about abuse of power by those in hierarchies to undermine those beneath them.

The first hour begins with some good news from http://indymedia.org.uk, the unanimous exoneration of a team of UK citizens who broke into a factory making weapons destined for Gaza. The jury agreed that they were preventing a greater crime, a principle which, if taken to its logical conclusion, presents a great possibility for change. We adapt Jackson Katz' "Tough Guise - Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity", a video examination of the culture of male violence and mainstream media's contribution to it. It ends with some remarks by Jeremy Rifkin on his new book, "The Empathic Civilization" in which he points to another way of living that to which we will look more closely in episode 510.

The second hour concludes Rifkin's remarks, and then features an interview

with Robert W. Fuller, on the subject of 'Rankism', a word he coined to describe the abuse, bullying or other disrespect of underlings by those of higher rank. Some listeners may question his naive faith in 'democracy' and 'the market', but still be impressed by his central point that hierarchy as it currently exists equates to a huge dignity deficit. I hope you will be as encouraged as I am that people from all walks of life and political viewpoints are concluding that a big change is coming. ★ Start a Discussion about this episode (Login Required)